Thursday, October 07, 2004

Destiny's Child Lovin' McDonald's

The bootylicious R&B trio has signed on to be the latest face of the fast food giant, taking over for Justin Timberlake in the "I'm Lovin' It" campaign.

The ladies will rep the company in a series of commercials and restaurant merchandise, and the Golden Arches will in turn sponsor the group's 2005 world tour. Destiny's Child will also make some special charity appearances for Ronald McDonald House and other McDonald's related charities.

"We're lovin' the chance to work with McDonald's and know that together we'll create lots of fun and cool surprises," Destiny frontwoman Beyoncй Knowles said in a statement Wednesday. "McDonald's shares our passion for music, so we can't wait to start connecting to our fans."

Mickey D's chief marketing officer Larry Light said the company couldn't be more thrilled with the partnership. "We believe this appeals to kids, and when kids are happy Mom is happy," he told Reuters.

The commercials, starring Beyoncй, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, are slated to air in coming months. The tour, dubbed Destiny Fulfilled and Lovin' It, kicks off this spring and will hits locations like Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Canada and their native USA.

Timberlake, meanwhile, will make his final McDonald's appearance in Toronto this week before passing on the torch to the ladies, though versions of his "I'm Lovin' It" track will continue be featured in ads.

Here's hoping this re-teaming of the chart-topping threesome will be smooth sailing. Already, lead singer Beyoncй ripped a leg muscle while working on a dance number for an upcoming two-hour ABC special intended to promote Destiny Fulfilled, the latest album from the recently reformed band.